Method of releasing communication between at least two communication devices

ABSTRACT

In a method of releasing communication between at least two communication devices ( 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ), a data carrier ( 36 ), that is able to be read from in a non-contacting manner and that contains an authorization code (AUC), is brought into the vicinity of communication devices ( 4, 5, 8 ) that are to be released, and the authorization code (AUC) is read out in a non-contacting manner by a reading device ( 21, 22, 25 ) contained in the relevant communication device ( 4, 5, 8 ) and is fed by the reading device ( 21, 22, 25 ) to a releasing device ( 40, 41, 44 ) that, after analyzing the authorization code (AUC), is responsible for releasing communication between the communication devices ( 4, 5, 8 ) to be released.

The invention relates to a method of releasing communication between atleast two communication devices that are arranged to communicate withone another.

The invention further relates to a communication device that is intendedand arranged to communicate with another communication device that isarranged to be suitable for this purpose.

There are a wide variety of known ways in which a method of the kindmentioned in the first paragraph above may be performed. There is forexample a method of this kind that is known in connection with mobiletelephones in which the number of another mobile telephone is dialedfrom a mobile telephone, after which communication between the twomobile telephones is released once the number dialed has been receivedby the other mobile telephone and the other mobile telephone has beenactivated.

With all the known methods, there is the problem that it is possible forcommunication to be released between two communication devices in a waythat is more or less insecure, which means that a case may arise whereunwanted and non-secure communication can occur between at least twocommunication devices.

It is an object of the-invention to obviate the possibilities describedabove in a simple and reliable manner and to provide an improved methodand an improved communication device.

To achieve the above-mentioned object, features according to theinvention are provided in a method according to the invention, thusenabling a method according to the invention to be characterized asdetailed below, namely:

A method of releasing communication between at least two communicationdevices that are arranged to communicate with one another, wherein adata carrier, that is able to be read from in a non-contacting mannerand that contains an authorization code, is brought into the vicinity ofat least two such communication devices, and in this way the datacarrier that is brought into the vicinity of a given communicationdevice is brought into non-contacting read connection with a readingdevice that is connected to the given communication device and can beread in a non-contacting manner, wherein the authorization code is readout by each reading device from the data carrier that is innon-contacting read connection with the reading device, wherein a checkis performed on the authorization code read out, and wherein thecommunication devices by whose reading devices the authorization codewas read out from the data carrier are released for communication withone another once the authorization code has been read out from the datacarrier, the authorization code read out has been checked and a positiveresult has been received for the check.

To achieve the above-mentioned object, features according to theinvention are provided in a communication device according to theinvention, thus enabling a communication device according to theinvention to be characterized as detailed below, namely:

A communication device that is arranged and intended to communicate withanother communication device arranged to be suitable for this purposeand that has a reading device able to read in a non-contacting mannerwith which a data carrier, that is able to be read from in anon-contacting manner and that contains an authorization code, can bebrought into non-contacting read connection, by which reading device theauthorization code contained in the data carrier can be read out, whichcommunication device has a releasing device that cooperates with thereading device and is arranged and intended to release the communicationdevice for communication with another communication device once theauthorization code has been read out by the reading device and theauthorization code has been checked.

By the provision of the features according to the invention it isensured, in a simple and easily implementable manner, that the releaseof communication between at least two communication devices can takeplace only in a secure manner, and hence that a high standard ofsecurity is ensured for the release of communication of this kind, thuspreventing any unwanted communication between at least two communicationdevices with a high level of reliability.

In a method according to the invention it has proved advantageous forthe features detailed in claim 2 also to be provided. What is therebyachieved is that any desired number of communication devices, which mayfor example be situated in a single room or in a building that allowsdirect communication between the communication devices, can beauthorized, and thus released, for communication with one another, bymeans of only a single data carrier by bringing the single data carrier,in succession, into the vicinity of the communication devices that areto be released for communication.

In a method according to the invention, it has further proved highlyadvantageous if the features detailed in claim 3 are also provided. Whatis advantageously achieved in this way is that an authorization code canbe conveyed to a plurality of separate data carriers from a centralpoint, in which case, following any such conveyance of the authorizationcode to the plurality of data carriers, each of the data carriers can bebrought into the vicinity of a communication device associated with therelevant data carrier, by which means the relevant communication deviceis authorized and released using the authorization code read out.

In a method according to the invention having the features detailed inclaim 3, it has proved particularly advantageous if the featuresdetailed in claim 4 are also provided. What is obtained in this way isparticularly high security with regard to the transmission of theauthorization code and thus particularly high security for the releaseof communication between a plurality of communication stations.

In a method as detailed in the above paragraph, it has provedparticularly advantageous if what are used as separate data carriers aredata carrier modules each housed in a mobile telephone. This makes itpossible, in a simple way, for an authorization code to be transmittedfrom a central point to a plurality of mobile telephones over a mobiletelephone transmission channel which is present anyway and, followingthis, the authorization code transmitted then to be stored in the datacarrier module housed in a mobile telephone, after which the storedauthorization code can then be transmitted in a non-contacting manner toa communication device associated with the mobile telephone by havingthe reading device contained in the relevant communication device readout the authorization code in a non-contacting manner. A mobiletelephone of this kind having a communication device associated with adata carrier module may be a PC or a laptop or some other communicationdevice.

These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will beelucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter,although the invention is not limited to these embodiments.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a highly diagrammatic view, partly in the form of blockcircuit diagrams, of a first configuration of communication devicesaccording to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a second configuration ofcommunication devices according to the invention.

Shown in FIG. 1 is a first configuration 1 of communication devices. Theconfiguration 1 is accommodated in a room 2 of a building 3.

The configuration 1 contains a first communication device 4 that in thepresent case is formed by an image projecting device 4. Theconfiguration 1 also contains four further communication devices 5, 6, 7and 8, these four communication devices 5, 6, 7 and 8 being so-calledlaptop computers. The total of five communication devices 4, 5, 6, 7 and8 are arranged and intended to communicate with one another.Communication with one another takes place in the case of theconfiguration 1 via a wireless local network 9 that is indicated in FIG.1 by dotted and dashed lines. This wireless local network is a networkconforming to IEEE standard 802.11. Any other network suitable for suchcommunication purposes may however be provided in place of this network,such as for example a Bluetooth network or an Ethernet network.

The first communication device 4, or in other words the image projectiondevice 4, contains communication means 10 that are connected to thenetwork 9, and data-processing means 11 connected to the communicationmeans 10, by means of which data-processing means 11 data or datasignals received by the communication means 10 can be processed. Thefirst communication device 4 also contains image-reproducing means 12connected to the data-processing means 11, by means of whichimage-reproducing means 12 data processed by the data-processing means11 can be reproduced optically.

The four further communication devices 5, 6, 7 and 8 contain respectivedata-processing means 13, 14, 15 and 16 by means of which data or datasignals contained in the respective communication devices 5, 6, 7 and 8can be processed. The four further communication devices 5, 6, 7 and 8also contain respective communication means 17, 18, 19 and 20 that areconnected to respective data-processing means 13, 14, 15 and 16. Thecommunication means 17, 18, 19 and 20 are connected to the network 9 toenable mutual communication to take place among all five communicationdevices 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 by means of the communication means 17, 18, 19and 20 and also by means of the communication means 10 of the firstcommunication device 4.

The five communication devices 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 have respective readingdevices 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 able to read in a non-contacting manner.The reading devices 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 contain respective read coils26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 and respective read circuits 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35connected to respective ones of the read coils.

A data carrier 36 able to be read from in a non-contacting manner can bebrought into non-contacting read connection with each of the readingdevices 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. The data carrier 36 contains atransmitting coil 37 and a transmitting circuit 38 connected to thetransmitting coil 37. The transmitting circuit 38 contains a memory 39,in which memory 39 an authorization code AUC is stored. Theauthorization code AUC contained in the data carrier 36 can be read byeach of the five reading devices 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25.

The total of five communication devices 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 containrespective releasing devices 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 that are connected torespective reading devices 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. The releasing devices40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 cooperate with the reading devices 21, 22, 23, 24and 25 respectively connected to them by virtue of the fact that theauthorization code AUC read out from the data carrier 36 by one of thereading devices 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 is transferred to a respective oneof the releasing devices 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44. The authorization codeAUC transferred is then processed in the releasing device 40, 41, 42, 43or 44, in which case a check is also performed, after which, i.e. afterthe read-out of the authorization code AUC by the relevant readingdevice 21, 22, 23, 24 or 25 and after the checking of the authorizationcode AUC, a release takes place of the communication means 10, 13, 14,15 and 16 that are connected to respective ones of the releasing means40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 and that are controllable thereby, thus releasingthe communication devices 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 containing the respectivecommunication means 10, 13, 14, 15 and 16 for communication with anotherof the communication devices.

In what follows, there will be described a method of releasingcommunication between the first communication device 4 and two furthercommunication devices 5 and 8 that can be performed using theconfiguration 1 shown in FIG. 1.

It is assumed that the first communication device 4, i.e. the imageprojecting device 4, is already present in the room 2. The furthercommunication devices 5, 6, 7 and 8 are brought into the room 2 by theirrespective users, the room 2 forming an area that allows directcommunication between the communication devices 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Inthis way, communication can take place between the total of fivecommunication devices 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 directly, namely via the network9.

To release communication between the first communication device 4 andthe further two communication devices 5 and 8, use is made of the singledata carrier 36, which is brought into successive non-contacting readconnection with the respective reading devices 21, 22 and 25 of thecommunication devices 4, 5 and 8 that are to be released forcommunication with one another.

The data carrier 36 is for example brought first into the vicinity ofthe first communication device 4, and as a result the authorization codeAUC is read out from the data carrier 36 by the reading device 21. Thedata carrier 36 is then brought into the vicinity of the first furthercommunication device 5, and as a result the authorization code AUC isread out from the data carrier 36 by the reading device 22.Consequently, the releasing devices 40 and 41 that cooperate with thereading devices 21 and 22 analyze the authorization code AUC andexchange and check it by means of the communication means 10 and 17,after which, if the result of the check is positive, the releasingdevices 40 and 41 release communication between the first communicationdevice 4 and the first further communication device 5, which means thatthe transmission of data or data signals from the first furthercommunication device 5 to the first communication device 4 is thenreleased and performed. What is achieved in this way is that datacontained in the first further communication device 5 is transmittedover the network 9 to the first communication device 4, after which thedata transmitted is then reproduced optically.

It is ensured in this case, as a result of the use of the data carrier36 containing the authorization code AUC and the processing of theauthorization code AUC read out in the first communication device 4 andin the first further communication device 5, that only these twocommunication devices 4 and 5 are able to communicate with one another,whereas all the other further communication devices 6, 7 and 8 presentin the room 2 are barred from communicating with the first communicationdevice 4 and the first further communication device 5. Once a desireddata transmission from the first further communication device 5 to thefirst communication device 4 has been completed, which is donedeliberately by a user of the further communication device 5, the datacarrier 36 is brought, in the present example, into the vicinity of thefourth further communication device 8, which means that theauthorization code AUC contained in the data carrier 36 is then read outby means of the reading device 25 which, in an entirely similar way tothat described above, results in communication between the fourthfurther communication device 8 and the first communication device 4being released.

It is of course also possible for communication to be released betweentwo other further communication devices, by for example first bringingthe data carrier 36 into the vicinity of the second furthercommunication device 6 and then into the vicinity of the third furthercommunication device 7, which will then, in the end, result incommunication being released between these two communication devices 6and 7.

Because the authorization code AUC is stored in the data carrier 36 in avery secure way, the reason for this being that a data carrier of thiskind has a series of access barriers and the authorization code AUC isalso stored in an encrypted and hence highly secure manner, it isensured by means of the data carrier 36 that a very high level ofsecurity is guaranteed for the release of communication between at leasttwo communication devices.

Shown in FIG. 2 is a configuration 50 that in this case has fourcommunication devices 51, 52, 53 and 54. The four communication devices51, 52, 53 and 54 are so-called desktop computers. The communicationdevices 51, 52, 53 and 54 contain respective data-processing means 55,56, 57 and 58. The communication devices 51, 52, 53 and 54 also containrespective communication means 59, 60, 61 and 62 that are connected torespective data-processing means 55, 56, 57 and 58. By means of thecommunication means 59, 60, 61 and 62 the communication devices 51, 52,53 and 54 are connected to a diagrammatically indicated data network 63,that is to say to the so-called internet in the present case. This couldthough be some other data network, such as a so-called intranet forexample.

The communication devices 51, 52, 53 and 54 contain respective readingdevices 64, 65, 66 and 67 able to read in a non-contacting manner, towhich respective releasing devices 68, 69, 70 and 71 are connected. Thereleasing devices 68, 69, 70 and 71 are connected to respective ones ofthe communication means 59, 60, 61 and 62 in the respectivecommunication devices 51, 52, 53 and 54. In this case too the readingdevices 64, 65, 66 and 67 are arranged and intended for thenon-contacting read-out of an authorization code AUC from a memorybelonging to a data carrier. The releasing devices 68, 69, 70 and 71 arearranged and intended for releasing respective ones of the communicationmeans 59, 60, 61 and 62, and hence respective ones of the communicationdevices 51, 52, 53 and 54, for communication with another communicationdevice. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the communication devices51, 52, 53 and 54 that are to be released for communication with oneanother are divided up into a plurality of areas that do not allowdirect communication between the communication devices 51, 52, 53 and54, which means that communication between the communication devices 51,52, 53 and 54 is possible only indirectly via a first transmissionchannel, this first transmission channel being formed by the datanetwork 63, i.e. by the internet.

In the configuration 50 shown in FIG. 2, each of the communicationdevices 51, 52, 53 and 54 to be released for communication has aseparate data carrier associated with it, for which purpose the solutiondescribed below is intended. In the configuration 50, the communicationdevices 51, 52, 53 and 54 have respective mobile telephones 72, 73, 74and 75 associated with them. The mobile telephones 72, 73, 74 and 75 canbe connected together for communication purposes by means of a mobiletelephone network 76, which mobile telephone network 76 represents asecond transmission channel.

The mobile telephones 72, 73, 74 and 75 contain respectivesignal-processing means 77, 78, 79 and 80 that are intended and arrangedto process signals that are received by the respective mobile telephones72, 73, 74 and 75 by means of respective antennas 81, 82, 83 and 84.

The mobile telephones 72, 73, 74 and 75 also contain respective datacarriers 85, 86, 87 and 88 or data carrier circuits. The data carriers85, 86, 87 and 88 are connected to respective ones of thesignal-processing circuits 77, 78, 79 and 80 and contain respectivememories 89, 90, 91 and 92 for storing an authorization code AUC. Thedata carriers 85, 86, 87 and 88 in the respective mobile telephones 72,73, 74 and 75 can be brought into non-contacting read connection withthe respective reading devices 64, 65, 66 and 67 of communicationdevices 51, 52, 53 and 54 associated with respective mobile telephones72, 73, 74 and 75, thus enabling the authorization code AUC stored inthe respective memories 89, 90, 91 and 92 to be read out and transferredto the respective communication devices 51, 52, 53 and 54 once anon-contacting read connection of this kind has been made.

In the configuration 50 shown in FIG. 2, the authorization code AUC canbe transmitted from a central point 93 over the mobile telephone network76 to each mobile telephone 72, 73, 74 or 75 and can be processed by thesignal-processing circuits 77, 78, 79 and 80 and can then be stored ineach of the data carriers 85, 86, 87 and 88 housed in the mobiletelephones 72, 73, 74 and 75. Following such transmission of theauthorization code AUC to the mobile telephones 72, 73, 74 and 75, eachsuch mobile telephone 72, 73, 74 or 75 can be brought into the vicinityof the communication device 51, 52, 53 or 54 associated with the givenmobile telephone 72, 73, 74 or 75, by which means it is then possiblefor the authorization code AUC to be read out, thus enabling, after suchread-out of the authorization code AUC and processing and checking ofthe authorization code AUC, release of communication among the fourcommunication devices 51, 52, 53 or 54 to be performed in the relevantreleasing device 68, 69, 70 or 71.

In the configuration 50 shown in FIG. 2, an authorization code AUC isdistributed to a plurality of data carriers 85, 86, 87 and 88 that canbe read from in a non-contacting manner, a mobile telephone network 76different than the data network 63 being used for the transmission ofthe authorization code AUC to the separate data carriers 85, 86, 87 and88, by which means high security is obtained for the release ofcommunication among the communication devices 51, 52, 53 and 54 over thedata network 63.

1. A method of releasing communication between at least twocommunication devices that are arranged to communicate with one another,wherein a data carrier that is able to be read from in a non-contactingmanner and that contains an authorization code is brought into thevicinity of at least two such communication devices and in this way thedata carrier that is brought into the vicinity of a given communicationdevice is brought into non-contacting read connection with a readingdevice that is connected to the given communication device and can beread in a non-contacting manner, wherein the authorization code is readout by each reading device from the data carrier that is innon-contacting read connection with the reading device, wherein a checkis performed on the authorization code read out, and wherein thecommunication devices by whose reading devices the authorization codewas read out from the data carrier are released for communication withone another once the authorization code has been read out from the datacarrier, the authorization code read out has been checked and a positiveresult has been received for the check.
 2. A method as claimed in claim1, wherein the communication devices are brought into an area thatallows direct communication between the communication devices, thusenabling communication to take place between the communication devicesdirectly, and wherein a single data carrier is used to release all thecommunication devices that are to be released for communication with oneanother, which data carrier is brought, in succession, intonon-contacting read connection with each of the reading devices of thecommunication devices that are to be released for communication with oneanother.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communicationdevices to be released for communication with one another are divided upinto a plurality of areas that do not allow direct communication betweenthe communication devices, which means that communication between thecommunication devices is possible only indirectly via a firsttransmission channel wherein each communication device to be releasedfor communication is associated with a separate data carrier and whereinthe authorization code is transmitted to each separate data carrier. 4.A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the transmission of theauthorization code to the separate data carriers is performed over asecond transmission channel different than the first transmissionchannel.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein data carriers eachhoused in a mobile telephone are used as the separate data carriers. 6.A communication device that is arranged and intended to communicate withanother communication device arranged to be suitable for this purposeand that has a reading device able to read in a non-contacting mannerfrom a data carrier that is able to be read from in a non-contactingmanner and that contains an authorization code that can be brought intonon-contacting read connection of at least the two such communicationdevices when brought into the vicinity of each of the communicationdevices, by which reading device the authorization code contained in thedata carrier can be read out, which communication device has a releasingdevice that cooperates with the reading device and that is arranged andintended to release the communication device for communication withanother communication device once the authorization code has been readout by the reading device, and the authorization code has been checkedand the result of the check is positive.
 7. A method of releasing forcommunication selected of a plurality of communication devices, themethod employing at least one data carrier that is readable in anon-contacting manner and that contains an authorization code associatedwith releasing communication, the method comprising: establishingconnection between a data carrier and at least one communication devicefor the purpose of non-contacting read of the data carrier by the atleast one communication device; reading the authorization code from thedata carrier in a non-contacting manner by the at least onecommunication device when the data carrier is brought within thevicinity of the communication device; and checking the authorizationcode and when a positive result is received for the check, releasing forcommunication the at least one communication device.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, wherein establishing connection comprises providing a selectedvicinity between the data carrier and the at least one communicationdevice.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a selected vicinitycomprises providing a vicinity of sufficient physical proximity so as tosupport reading the data carrier via inductive coupling.
 10. The methodof claim 7, wherein reading the authorization code comprises using areading device associated with the at least one communication device.11. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing connection comprisesestablishing connection between the reading device and the data carrier.12. The method of claim 10, wherein the reading device is integral withthe at least one communication device.
 13. The method of claim 10,wherein the reading device is provided in a second device physicallyseparate from the at least one communication device.
 14. The method ofclaim 7, wherein reading the authorization code comprises reading viainductive coupling.
 15. The method of claim 7, further comprising,responsive to processing the authorization code, determining whether torelease for communication the at least one communication device.
 16. Themethod of claim 7, further comprising: establishing connection between adata carrier and at least another communication device for the purposeof non-contacting read of the data carrier by the at least anothercommunication device; reading the authorization code from the datacarrier in a non-contacting manner by the at least another communicationdevice; and processing the authorization code, in connection withreleasing for communication the at least another communication device.17. The method of claim 16, wherein establishing connections compriseusing a single data carrier as to both the at least one communicationdevice and the at least another communication device.
 18. The method ofclaim 17, wherein at least one of processing the authorization codescomprises exchanging in at least one of the following manners: (i)transferring the authorization code read by the at least onecommunication device to the at least another communication device; (ii)transferring the authorization code read by the at least anothercommunication device to the at least one communication device; and (iii)mutually transferring the respective authorization code read by the atleast one communication device and the at least another communicationdevice from each to the other.
 19. The method of claim 18, furthercomprising, responsive as to at least one of processing authorizationcodes, determining whether to release from communication with oneanother at least one of the at least one communication device and the atleast another communication device.
 20. The method of claim 16, whereinestablishing connections comprise using plural data carriers, such datacarriers being in one-to-one association with the at least onecommunication device and the at least another communication device, andfurther comprising a transmission channel by which each of the pluraldata carriers receives its authorization code associated with releasingfor communication with one another the at least one communication deviceand the at least another communication device.